‘Linked by common values’, says Europhile Kakizawa

THERE can be few more Europhile members of the Japanese parliament, the Diet, than Congressman Koji Kakizawa.

European Voice

3/12/03, 5:00 PM CET

The former foreign minister has been a regular visitor to Brussels since he was first posted to the city in 1967 to take charge of Japanese relations with the European community.

His most recent visit came towards the end of last year, when he brought his son Mito, also a politician, to see the country where he was born. (The pair even posed for a picture outside the hospital in the Brussels district of Ixelles where little Mito first glimpsed the world).

Kakizawa, unsurprisingly, believes that his country must promote “interdependence” with Europe. Like Fuji Xerox chief Yotaro Kobayashi, he underlines the “common values” which Japan shares with the EU. He refers to his own “deep admiration and appreciation for European culture and history” and calls for “an alliance of Old Europe and Old Asia”.

“Europe has succeeded in creating a sphere of peace and economic prosperity, pushing collaboration to a level Japanese eagerly want to follow. A major diplomatic objective for Japan in the next decade is to build a sphere of prosperity and free trade in Asia on the model of Europe.”

Kakizawa admits, however, that it has been difficult for some of his countrymen to come to terms with Japan’s reversal in fortune over the past decade.

He highlights the example of the motor industry. In the Eighties, Japanese firms like Nissan, Honda and Toyota were setting up plants in Europe as they expanded apace. But now Japan needs the help of firms like Renault – “who would have thought it?” – to save Nissan.

Japan has forged particularly close links with France, especially in the fields of human science technology and nuclear power. The latter accounts for 15% of electricity generation in Japan – and 35-40% in Tokyo.

“We are also developing clean energy, but it’s not sufficient,” he adds.

Japan is also heavily reliant on France for three of its most popular imports – wine, cheese and luxury goods. Japan accounts for 70% of sales for Louis Vuitton, the upmarket accessories store, he claims.

The congressman has a special affection for France: it was where he launched his career in politics and diplomacy after winning a place on an exchange programme to work at the finance ministry in Paris back in 1964.

“I wanted to reimburse this gift from the French government and every year since I’ve always had a French intern working in my office. I’m on my 19th now.”

Kakizawa’s love affair with France has been reciprocated: he proudly points to a framed memento on his wall – it is the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur. Alongside are photographs of him meeting Jacques Chirac, and François Mitterrand. He also shows me a signed photograph with Romano Prodi, taken just before the European Commission president addressed the Diet in April 2002. (There’s also a picture of him meeting the Libyan leader after the US bombing of Tripoli back in 1986. I can’t help noticing he’s signed it Colonel Muammar Gadaffi).

This is the cue for Kakizawa to show me copies of his personal newsletter, published twice a year. They are packed with snaps of him meeting various luminaries, including George W. Bush, but the vast majority feature European VIPs.

There’s no doubting his Euro credentials, then. But, it’s clear, he never travels anywhere without his camera: a true man of Japan.